Knowing ChristDedicated to open conversations about knowing Christ and living as His body2017-12-14T02:27:51Zhttp://mikepollie.wordpress.com/feed/atom/WordPress.commike polliehttps://mikepollie.wordpress.comhttp://mikepollie.wordpress.com/?p=762011-12-14T12:31:39Z2011-12-14T12:31:38Z]]>Many wonder how God can be angry at a people He Himself created. I don’t know. But it would appear from scripture that although God is slow to anger He indeed gets angry. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Why? Why would we have to be afraid of that. Well it appears that outside of Christ falling into Gods hands is not a good thing. I don’t know if I could say that God is just looking to be angry or has only anger for those who don’t know Christ cause that might not be biblically accurate. I believe God wants us to all come to Him. To seek Him. To know Him and His Love. But what happens when we reject His love. The stark contrast to love is hate. God doesn’t hate us. God hates hate. So when we choose to hate Him all that seems to be left is hate. Because God is love I believe He still loves us but when we hate hate Him (reject Him) then we end up in hate because there is no love. Not that we have loved Him but that He first loved us.

As for those in Christ its not that we know Him as much as we are known of Him. And that’s what makes us free and accepted by the otherwise “angry” God. You may disagree and that’s fine but if God doesn’t hate evil and have anger then why does the bible talk about so much. One of my friends gave the suggestion that sometimes people have to attribute things to God because that’s what makes sense to them and in to a degree I agree with that but there must be some point where this “angry God” thing has meaning and some truth to it. I mean when we tell our kids to do something and they straight reject it we can get angry with them. And what God desires from us, His children, is way higher then what we expect from our children so it would seem that His “anger” might be higher as well. Can pure holiness embrace anything less? Its kind of funny cause I believe God desires pure holiness from us but don’t know if He actually expects it. I mean isn’t that part of what Jesus did for us?

All I know is that I don’t want to fall into the hands of the living God without the holiness of Christ covering me. Some think that hell is just more of a state of mind more than a physical/spiritual place. I hold that it is both physical and spiritual but mostly spiritual and when those in hell are resurrected into their bodies they are then destined for the lake of fire which I believe to be even more physical without relief for eternity. I mean it may not seem right in our eyes but God says [every way looks right in the eyes of man but in the end it leads to destruction]. Soooooo, I’m just sayin. In my scriptural understanding God will impose judgment on all those in hell not because He’s a hater just runnin around angry with a chip on His shoulder ready to take people out but because we choose to be angry and hate Him.

I’m no writer and I don’t have the special words or grammar or homineutics to make you believe what I’m saying is either scriptural or true. But you and I and all humanity has a choice. Love or hate. God said [I love jacob but hate esau] but God is love so how can that be. Well esau rejected God (please note that first of all the term hate means more rejected and second that there is a bigger picture here) but that’s because esau rejected God. Don’t reject God. I hate just telling people straight up “do this” or “don’t do this” but please sinner……saint…….don’t reject God cause He definitely doesn’t want to reject you but if you reject Him then inherently Love can’t embrace hate.

That’s about it for now.

Maybe next ill give some insight on what love vs hate means/looks like cause I think sometimes we get it a little twisted.

I know there are many here who believe that living a homosexual life is a sin. Okay. But, what does that have to do with love?~dan pearce

This is more of a question blog. What does security look like? I was rolling this around in my brain yesterday and I don’t remember all my thoughts but here’s what I have to say about it.

Nothing is sound. We are in a world of uncertainty and more and more today people are feelin it. I remember in the 80’s how even people who weren’t in the money had more of a sense of security. The economy was pretty great to be honest and during “the clinton years” I think it was even better. Then something happened. Now we can blame all sorts of people and events but the truth is that there really is nothing 100% in this world. It can all change in an instant. Financially relationally demographically……….violently. Security? Not here.

But there is hope. Security is attainable if you wish it to be. There is secutiry in Christ. It may not be financially or any of that other stuff we hope for in this life but its there. I want to touch again on the hebrews coming out of egypt. They cam out of something that even though they were slaves they seemed to have a sense of security.

Sitting here at labor ready has me thinking of a false security I used to have back when I was homeless. I used to go sleep outside of labor ready so I could get work and there was this guy who knew I slept out back of the place and I knew he would wake me up every morning. I mean that’s kind of extreme I know but there was still a sense of security. Fortunately at least I’m not sleeping outside of the place. But neither do I feel security by being here. I’ve had to relocate and move in with the in laws and still no real security.

Some times the only security I have is in this. I am sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption. That’s all I really know to hold on to. But the thing is that that is worth so much but I don’t always act like it. I am so secure I can’t even fathom. God has promised never to leave or forsake us. That is security. The only security that really ever matters. I wish to shake off all my false security so that my real security will be evident. So that others may know that there is secure hope out there and that His name is Jesus the Christ. I pray that we as the body exhibit this secure hope in our lives as we live out the life in Christ.

]]>0mike polliehttps://mikepollie.wordpress.comhttp://mikepollie.wordpress.com/?p=722011-12-12T04:34:13Z2011-12-12T04:34:13Z]]>Tonight we were talking about freedom and amidst all the pretty cool conversation I first of all realized how bound I still am to so many more things and stuff then I wish to be (but I’m not gonna be bound to the guilt either just sayin). Second I realized this one theme has been really bouncing around lately and I can’t shake it. Therefore I am going to try to open this concept up.

First I want to give this confusing (in my opinion) statement from paul to the galatians. Paul says in effect [it is for freedom that Christ has set you free]. Um…….what? I pretty much would gather that if you are set free that it is for freedom. Soooooooooo, what?

Here’s something my wife offered. She said well Jesus is the Truth and He said you will know the Truth and it will set you free so Jesus freed us to know Him. Something like that. I mean that’s kind of a good point. Don’t know if that’s what paul specifically meant but I don’t think its far off at all. The more I think about it the more I like it to. Actually while I’m writing this I like the idea more and more. Man I love my wife.

Ok back to the topic. What does freedom look like? Who can really say they are free in this world. I mean we are all bound to something somehow. Someone was talking tonight about how they were bound to the need for things to be specifically structured and if that structure didn’t work out then it would throw everything off. I’m kind of a “seat of the pants” kind of guy and never really had structure in my life so I actually have to create structure or I won’t have any but some really have to stick to a strict code or plan. This may seem like a perfectly fine thing to do but sometimes it can be just another bondage. This can sometimes be a problem when people come to Christ as well. When you first come to Christ (at least when I first came to Christ) it reminds me of pilgrims progress when dude has the “burden” fall off of him. All the guilt and paranoia and shame just initially falls right off and at least for me it felt like I could just stretch out and finally say “I’m free!!!!”. No really that’s how I felt at first. It was night and day (literally) for me. I talked to God one night and I woke up the next morning like I didn’t even know who I was. I mean I felt bad for a lot of the things I had done (if you were a homeless pimp ho drug dealin car theivin girl stealin burglerin crackhead you’d feel a little bad for the people you messed over too) but I knew all that had happened was gone. It was over. There was nothing I could do to change it and all I could do was move forward. Doesn’t mean I don’t bear both the physical and emotional scars of it all (some more than others) but I know without Christ it would be way worse. Not to mention, I know freedom.

But something happens to people sometimes. I’m gonna share what some may think is stereotypical but its about me and the people I’ve been around so believe me its more observation than stereotyping. Here goes. Y’all may not get this but let’s see where it goes.

When I was a homeless crackhead I went to all sorts of places to get food clothing and other services. Eventually I ended up living at one of the ministries and there was something I finally noticed when I stopped smoking crack. Druggies eat A LOT when they ain’t got no drugs. Eh, say what you will but I’ve been there done that got the t-shirt up in my closet. We go from one bondage to another. This same thing happens in prison/jail. Food is like the jank when you comin down (whether its from drugs or from crime). Its less about survivql and more about fillin the void.

We talked tonight about how God freed His people but because their void wasn’t being filled the way they expected they desired to actually go back to their bonds because they wanted the good side of things. Also there are people who actually purposely commit crimes to go to jail (I did this a couple times so I understand). There really is a security in bondage sometimes. Its sick really. There is a song I used to jam out to that hits the nail on the head I think http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/nineinchnails/happinessinslavery.html

I’m sure I could say more but ima leave it at this for now

Feel free to add to the conversation……

]]>0mike polliehttps://mikepollie.wordpress.comhttp://mikepollie.wordpress.com/?p=702011-12-09T20:17:29Z2011-12-09T20:17:29Z]]>This time of year I usually rant and rave on how ungodly christmas is and how believers in Christ shouldn’t celebrate it. But I’m flippin the script this year and forevermore (hopefully) because ya know what?……..I just don’t care. Ima celebrate Jesus everyday and if you or any other person needs a special day to celebrate whatever it is you want to celebrate whether its family friends football or Jesus then do your thing. And if we are together I’m probably gonna enjoy those things with you. Christmas? Eh, maybe not so much but if you’re celebrating Jesus then I’m there with ya no matter what ya call it.

Now I’m wondering this though. How about other celebrations. I want to celebrate passover and feast of trumpets and feast of tabernacles and so on and so forth. Does anyone care about that? I ask because I understand those are OT celebrations but what’s wrong with celebrating them as believers in Christ. I mean if Jesus is the Everlasting Almighty Father God then aren’t those part of Him?

I know I know…….this here sounds a tad bit jewish (which is why we have christmas and easter and the such in the first place). But in Christ we have become jews. Not physical residents of israel but spiritual Jews. We are all israelites indeed who have been circumcised in our hearts. That’s a beautiful thing. I’m not trying to lessen a persons sincere right to worship Jesus how they are led. Neither am I trying to tell people they must keep “torah”. But shouldn’t we at least entertain the thought that maybe the OT holy days weren’t only point forward to Christ but are actually still pointing to Him. Mind you (and I know this may offend many OT “torah” adherents) most all the OT law was derived from surrounding cultures (as were christmas and easter) so to claim holidays more or less holy than the OT holy days may be a long shot (remember paul told us not to judge people based on these things) but if one can be good with the right heart I believe the other can be just as good. Jesus didn’t come to say “well all the OT is done with there’s nothing left there” but rather to say “I was what the OT was always talking about” and “here I am…….worship me”.

]]>0mike polliehttps://mikepollie.wordpress.comhttp://mikepollie.wordpress.com/?p=682011-12-09T13:39:54Z2011-12-09T13:39:53Z]]>[Everyone who does evil doesn’t come into the light because they don’t want their evil ways exposed but those who truly do good love the Light and come into it] (slight paraphrase and tweaking of John 3:20,21)

I was having this conversation (with various other people not only in my head as usual) about if their is any good in us before salvation. I’ve wrestled with “total depravity” since I was saved (as I could’ve cared less before I became a “theologian” hahahahaha). On one side (especially with cut and paste theosophies) I see totally what a total depravity adherent is saying really. But in the end I can’t totally agree. How can Jesus say there are people who do good? I will say this. If you have total depravity as a mindset then I understand why it must needs be backed up by “unconditional election”. And that may be a big problem with our ways of thinking (I’m talking loudest to myself).

Now I don’t know what I’m saying so please bear with me. If we start our theology at a certain point and say this one point is definitely 100% true and can’t be changed then sometimes (not all I know) but sometimes all our other theology has to follow.

“I Personally Believe……..” in a literal hell and lake of fire (though I don’t specifically believe that the fire will be literal cause I don’t know). So, to back that up I have to pull together the few NT verses (cause its not really supported in the OT) to support that theology. Then again I don’t adhere to the trinity doctrine. Its funny for me how we all try to defend our theologies more than uphold the bibles actually teachings from time to time. And I don’t want to say that’s how I used to be and act like I’m above that now. That’s how I am now.

Point is this. Sometimes we just don’t know as much as we think we know. Let me re-state that, “I just don’t know as much as I think I know”. Or as the bible says [if anyone thinks they know anything they don’t know yet as they ought to know].

“All I know is that I don’t know nothing”~ Op Ivy

]]>2mike polliehttps://mikepollie.wordpress.comhttp://mikepollie.wordpress.com/?p=662011-12-08T03:35:52Z2011-12-08T03:35:51Z]]>I’m so glad that I’ve been grafted
By the One who made it happen
I was nappin
Lovin sin and
Didn’t care about His image
Well
Then one day He called me out
Pulled my ticket wolfin all
Had no truth up in my bones
But still calls me His own
Man somethings wrong
Oh yeah I get it
Wasn’t me
It was He
All the time I ran my life
Full of pain sorrow and strife
Is it perfect now?
Well no
But better off than was before
Now that’s for sure
And if I hadn’t responded
God only knows where Id be at
Probably still bummin some scraps
Off of couples comin out of
Restaurants in santa moni-
Cause that’s what I’m all about
Ya didn’t know?
Well now ya do so what ya think?
Now how do I stink?
Hopefully when you smell me
Its Jesus fragrance heavenly
Let’s wait and see]]>0mike polliehttps://mikepollie.wordpress.comhttp://mikepollie.wordpress.com/?p=642011-12-07T19:01:17Z2011-12-07T19:01:17Z]]>I always wondered about the whole communion/Lords supper/eucharist thing all my life. Not constantly, but in general. Before I was a believer I saw only the weird way that catholics lined up like at school lunch to have some strange guy put stuff on their tongue. Well then I got saved and did it the protestant way. You know the whole thimble of grape juice/cool aid and a chunk of saltine/special communion wafer. Later (just last year) we made some unleavened bread and had bread and wine with contemplation for a communion.

Just this year someone I know brought up the subject of what communion is and I read 1 cor 10 and 11 in a different light. Mind you I could be wrong so please take this as the way I see it not as dogmatic difinite truth. What I saw though is that first of all communion is not spoken of in 1 cor 10 and 11 but rather it is speaking specifically about the Lords supper/table. This, I believe, is of some signifigance because communion seems to be something that happens on a regular basis and the Lords supper seems to be something that happens less frequently (in my opinion a lot less frequently).

“How much less?” You might ask. Well first I want to answer why I don’t think communion and the Lords supper/table are the same. Communion is people coming together to eat and share things together in my opinion. And since the word communion is not in the bible I think that acts 2 is the best showing of what communion is. I would love others thoughts on that as well.

Ok so that’s the main reason why I said communion and the Lords supper are not the same. But there is another reason. The Lords supper to me seems to be the passover (the jewish passover) and its interesting how 1 cor 10 and 11 shows this. Speaking of this (which is my main point) it seems like Paul is talking about a specific cup and a specific bread. The fact that it was at the time of the passover initially and that Jesus is called our passover lamb makes “this” seem that much more specific. It would appear that communion should be a regular thing that we do not so much as an event/events but just as a way of life and the Lords supper/table seems to be a special event done at passover. In 1 cor 10 paul speaks about the rituals of the pagans as opposed to the jewish practices and I think he does this to point out that they probably already knew it was something done at passover. This part is more assumption than concrete truth. But this one thing gets me the most regardless of how you view it. How does one get drunk off a thimble of juice or full off of a piece of cracker. So it would seem that the Lords supper/table is accompanied by a meal as it was on that day that Christ “instituted”. And again regardless of what time of year you believe it is it would appear that it is not a regular thing as is communion/communal living.

Thoughts?

]]>7mike polliehttps://mikepollie.wordpress.comhttp://mikepollie.wordpress.com/?p=612011-12-06T19:11:26Z2011-12-06T19:11:25Z]]>We all have ways of believing that are different from what others or orthodoxy say we should believe. This is a big problem for me (and maybe others) because I always seem to be stuck somewhere between pharisee and heretic. I don’t want to be either but that just seems to be what happens. I want to be able to uphold sound doctrine from the bible while also not being so set in my interpretations and beliefs that I deny others their rights as believers to have interpretations and beliefs. One person believes its ok to casually use slang words while another (like myself) feels any vain word is sinful. One person believes divorce can be justified while another (like myself) believes that apart from adultery it is never justified. I did not say those things to argue about them but as examples of how we may tend to think that our way is the only right way.

Here’s where it gets muddy =D

Some people believe there are many ways to God but Jesus said He is the way. Can we reconcile that. The bible says there is none righteous, not one. But, then the bible goes on to say that a nonbeliever in Jesus (cornelius) was a righteous man. We as believers in Christ may say “well there is no righteousness outside of Christ”. And that might be true. But God called a nonbeliever righteous. How do we reconcile this.

More mud.

Many see revelation as fully literal. Others see it as totally metaphorical. I see it as both and that is hard cause those that see it as both like I do have a hard time sorting out the two especially when speaking with each other of the same mindset. As for having conversations between the fully literal and the fully metaphoric, that seems to be something that may never happen. When I say conversations please understand I don’t mean arguments =D. Now we should know that the apostles and early church also had many problems and in my opinion it all comes down to this. Jesus is Lord God and Savior. Do you believe it? That’s salvation. I know many also will not agree with that either saying its not that easy of easier but ima stand firm and let others do as they will and try to be more gracious about it. I think that’s where I lack the most.

“Wisdom is the principle thing. Therefore get wisdom and with all your getting get understanding”~solomon

]]>2mike polliehttps://mikepollie.wordpress.comhttp://mikepollie.wordpress.com/?p=592011-12-06T01:14:41Z2011-12-06T01:14:41Z]]>I have taken a break from social networking recently because I just needed a hiatus and wanted to start blogging more. I think I may also start to undertake my chronological contemporary translation of the bible.

Here’s something I’ve been thinking about though (and I plan to blog on it after I’ve collected more thoughts on it). Personally I believe………..

This seems to be a problem for us as believers and I want to address it in a blog. This blog will be my first post back on facebook and I am going to try to focus more of my attention on the blog as I hope it brings me more opportunity to expand my networking to other bloggers and spend less time facebooking one liners so as to let people see what I’m saying more in context as opposed to just instantly doing what we all do and saying “you’re wrong”.

]]>0mike polliehttps://mikepollie.wordpress.comhttp://mikepollie.wordpress.com/?p=572011-12-05T16:18:39Z2011-12-05T16:18:38Z]]>Didn’t know what to call this so I just randomly picked this name because……well you’ll see.

So my wife and I just moved to NY (schenectady to be exact) and we didn’t have many options for fellowship since we don’t go to traditional pulpit to pew church. But, last night we went to a place called the distillery and we had a nice experience. Sure we will go back there. Hopefully its not another obligatory “church done differently”. Time will only tell. And who knows what’s “just around the corner”.